FEP vs. VEA
Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund (FEP) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA).
FEP and VEA are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FEP is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Defined Europe Index. It was launched on Apr 26, 2011. VEA is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index. It was launched on Jul 20, 2007. Both FEP and VEA are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.
Performance
FEP vs. VEA - Performance Comparison
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FEP vs. VEA - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FEP First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund | 3.30% | 55.72% | 3.38% | 16.85% | -22.97% | 17.03% | 4.12% | 24.83% | -19.00% | 36.27% |
VEA Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF | 4.45% | 35.16% | 3.15% | 17.93% | -15.34% | 11.66% | 9.71% | 22.62% | -14.75% | 26.42% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FEP achieves a 3.30% return, which is significantly lower than VEA's 4.45% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with FEP having a 9.94% annualized return and VEA not far behind at 9.55%.
FEP
- 1D
- 1.54%
- 1M
- -4.13%
- YTD
- 3.30%
- 6M
- 8.62%
- 1Y
- 40.34%
- 3Y*
- 21.59%
- 5Y*
- 9.91%
- 10Y*
- 9.94%
VEA
- 1D
- 1.65%
- 1M
- -5.45%
- YTD
- 4.45%
- 6M
- 9.91%
- 1Y
- 31.74%
- 3Y*
- 16.71%
- 5Y*
- 8.93%
- 10Y*
- 9.55%
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FEP vs. VEA - Expense Ratio Comparison
FEP has a 0.80% expense ratio, which is higher than VEA's 0.03% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
FEP vs. VEA — Risk / Return Rank
FEP
VEA
FEP vs. VEA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund (FEP) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
| FEP | VEA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 2.08 | 1.81 | +0.28 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.66 | 2.46 | +0.21 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.41 | 1.36 | +0.05 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.31 | 2.77 | +0.54 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 12.59 | 10.77 | +1.82 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| FEP | VEA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.08 | 1.81 | +0.28 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.51 | 0.55 | -0.04 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.48 | 0.55 | -0.07 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.32 | 0.22 | +0.09 |
Correlation
The correlation between FEP and VEA is 0.84, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.
Dividends
FEP vs. VEA - Dividend Comparison
FEP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.17%, more than VEA's 2.88% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FEP First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund | 3.17% | 3.33% | 4.94% | 3.27% | 3.00% | 3.49% | 2.32% | 2.63% | 2.62% | 1.65% | 2.14% | 2.20% |
VEA Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF | 2.88% | 3.22% | 3.35% | 3.15% | 2.91% | 3.16% | 2.04% | 3.04% | 3.35% | 2.77% | 3.05% | 2.92% |
Drawdowns
FEP vs. VEA - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FEP drawdown since its inception was -46.05%, smaller than the maximum VEA drawdown of -60.68%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FEP and VEA.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FEP | VEA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -46.05% | -60.68% | +14.63% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -12.31% | -11.63% | -0.68% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -38.99% | -29.71% | -9.28% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -46.05% | -35.73% | -10.32% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.38% | -7.20% | +0.82% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -12.14% | -13.39% | +1.25% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.23% | 2.99% | +0.24% |
Volatility
FEP vs. VEA - Volatility Comparison
First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund (FEP) has a higher volatility of 8.46% compared to Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA) at 7.92%. This indicates that FEP's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VEA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FEP | VEA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 8.46% | 7.92% | +0.54% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 12.63% | 11.68% | +0.95% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 19.48% | 17.67% | +1.81% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 19.57% | 16.30% | +3.27% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 20.65% | 17.26% | +3.39% |